This 8-year collaboration positions both companies at the forefront of the energy transition within the cruise and maritime sectors.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NCLH) and Repsol yesterday announced a landmark 8-year agreement to supply renewable marine fuels at the Port of Barcelona, establishing an unprecedented long-term relationship within the cruise industry.
Beginning in the 2026 European season, Repsol will offer a portfolio of renewable fuels, including biofuels and, from 2029, renewable methanol, directly to NCLH’s vessels across its cruise brands — Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises — when calling at the Port of Barcelona.
“This partnership is an excellent example of how cross-industry collaboration can unlock meaningful progress,” said Harry Sommer, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. “Securing long-term access to renewable marine fuels at a key European port aligns directly with our Sail & Sustain® program and demonstrates our commitment to advancing towards a more sustainable future.”
“This milestone agreement highlights that renewable fuels are ready to play a key role in reducing the carbon footprint of the maritime sector. By partnering with NCLH, one of the world’s leading cruise companies, we show that renewable fuels are already deployable at scale to immediately start reducing emissions at sea,” said Juan Abascal, Repsol’s Executive Managing Director for Industrial Transformation and Circular Economy.
The agreement between NCLH and Repsol was established based on the changing international regulatory environment and both companies’ pursuit of Net Zero by 2050. All fuels provided under the agreement are certified under the ISCC EU framework and meet the standards necessary to support NCLH’s environmental compliance and decarbonization roadmap.
The renewable methanol will be produced at Repsol’s Ecoplanta facility in Tarragona (Spain), a pioneering project in Europe to transform urban waste into renewable fuels and circular products, adding a solution for reducing CO₂ emissions in the transport sector, while at the same time promoting the circular economy.
The new plant—set to begin operations in 2029— will have the capacity to process up to 400,000 tons of municipal solid waste per year and turn them into 240,000 tons of renewable fuels and circular products. NCLH is the first company to sign an offtake agreement for renewable methanol from the Ecoplanta facility.
This alliance underscores NCLH’s commitment to advancing low-carbon fuel solutions and supporting the circular economy, while maintaining operational flexibility and cost efficiency across its fleet. It also directly supports the company’s global program, Sail & Sustain®, a company-wide initiative focused on reducing greenhouse gas intensity, investing in innovative fuel solutions, and fostering collaboration across the value chain. As part of its 2026 “Charting the Course” targets, the company is working to achieve a 10 percent reduction in GHG intensity by 2026 and 25 percent by 2030.1
Renewable fuels are central to Repsol’s strategy to supply solutions to cut CO₂ emissions across all transport sectors. They are an already available alternative for decarbonizing current and future vehicles, without the need to change engines or modify existing distribution and refueling infrastructures. In Cartagena (Spain), the company operates the region’s first renewable diesel and SAF plant (250,000 t/year), and it is building a second plant in Puertollano (200,000 t/year), due in 2026. Next year, it will also start operations at its synthetic fuels demo plant in Bilbao.
The company supplies renewable diesel at over 1,300 service stations in Spain and Portugal, aiming for 1,500 by year-end, making it one of the largest 100% renewable fuel networks in Europe. Repsol is also the Iberian Peninsula’s leading supplier of SAF, supporting aviation decarbonization and compliance with the EU’s 2% mandate.
(Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and Repsol Sign Long-Term Agreement to Supply Renewable Fuels in Barcelona)
Tags: BarcelonaNorwegian Cruise Line (NCL)Oceania CruisesRegent Seven Seas Cruises
Appeared first on: Latecruisenews.com
